


Merlin's Bracelet

by SippingMyTea



Category: Merlin - Fandom
Genre: Bracelets, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gifts, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Secret Relationship, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-03-01 03:39:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18792229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SippingMyTea/pseuds/SippingMyTea
Summary: Merlin has a bracelet that he never takes off. Arthur notices this but doesn't comment on it at first, until one night.





	Merlin's Bracelet

Arthur noticed the bracelet after two days of having Merlin as his manservant. Of course, he didn't think it important enough to comment on it, so he never did, and nothing changed. From that day on, though, he did notice the bracelet more and more often, and eventually he noticed how Merlin never took it off. He noticed this during a stay in another kingdom, where he and Merlin, as was normal for servant and master in that kingdom,  stayed in the same room together. Arthur noticed then that Merlin never took the bracelet off.

He sometimes wondered, when he saw the bracelet show under Merlin's sleeves, why he never took it off. He figured it was something sentimental, like he knows most of his knights wear something all the time because of some sentimental reason, like never forgetting the dead parent who gave it to them before dying. 

He found himself hoping that Merlin did not wear the bracelet because of the death of a loved one, like Arthur wore his mother's ring. Merlin was far too innocent to be tainted by the grief of a loved one's death. It made him wonder just when his feelings had begun spiralling down that particular road. 

Regardless, he still did not comment on it. There was no reason to and he figured it didn't matter either way.

So he said nothing, and slowly he forgot about the bracelet, though he would still passively notice it every once in a while and be pleased, for some reason, that Merlin still wore it. He supposed it just showed Merlin's devotion once more, not like Arthur needed this physical reminder of just how devoted Merlin could be.

But then, his feelings for his manservant seemed to spiral down a road that was particularly inappropriate for their stations — not that Merlin cared, though; he never did — and they grew even closer than anyone could have seen coming. It was thrilling to Arthur, to love and be loved by someone who was so far beneath his station, but who also ultimately didn't care about propriety, about what was proper for master and servant, for _prince_ and servant. He could honestly say that he loved Merlin, every little thing about him; his devotion, his loyalty, his sense of justice, how he was always there for everyone and how he didn't take any nonsense of the court's, except for the king (because Merlin was still somewhat fond of his neck and head, and so was Arthur). Merlin just had this way of weaselling his way into Arthur's life, and so it should have come to no surprise that Merlin had managed to slither into his heart as well and make a home there, and Arthur hoped by all the gods that would hear him that this home was permanent.

He would give up everything for Merlin, everything, and he was sure Merlin felt the same way. Arthur would give up his life in comfort as Camelot's crown prince, and he even imagined very often that he would run away with Merlin, live on a farm, he would go hunting or work in the field while Merlin took care of the house, but they would cook together, because he would insist that Merlin teach him, and they would laugh and joke and Arthur would make Merlin roll in laughter by 'accidentally' managing to get some food on his own face while cooking. Then, he imagined, they would sit by the window, all the candles blown out, and stare out the window at the starlit sky and marvel at the constellations which Merlin would point out to Arthur and tell him the story behind them. Meanwhile,  they would be cuddling and Arthur would slowly pull Merlin even closer, nuzzle and then kiss his neck from behind. That would make Merlin moan and giggle and turn around to grace Arthur with his lips. First, their kiss would be soft and slow and gentle, like they feared the other would suddenly break if they applied too much pressure. Then, Merlin would become needy and moan and push at Arthur in a silent command to lay on his back, which Arthur would obey without hesitation. Merlin would be the one deepening the kiss, taking over, like he took over Arthur's heart and claimed it as his, he would claim Arthur's lips as his as well. And Arthur would let him, he would let him do anything he desired, just for the chance to give Merlin back just a little bit of what Merlin always gave him, to let Merlin take whatever he wished instead of just giving all the time without expecting anything in return. Arthur would moan under Merlin's hands, writhe and buck his hips at Merlin's soft, yet demanding touches. He would pull Merlin closer, then he would turn them so he straddled Merlin's hips and teasingly moved his hips over Merlin's crotch until Merlin was panting and his eyes clouded over with nothing but lust and _hunger_. And then he and Merlin would make love, as gentle or as rough as Merlin demanded, and afterwards, they would hold onto each other like the other was the source of what kept them alive, like the other was the very air they breathed and without the other, they would die.

Of course, Merlin would never allow Arthur to run away with him. Merlin seemed convinced that Arthur would become this great person, this great king, and how could Arthur take that away from him? What sort of person, no, what sort of monster would he be if he disappointed Merlin's vision of him? And so Arthur did his very best, and after every major decision he would look over at Merlin, hoping, like a child, that Merlin would look at him with approval and pride, which he often did. Arthur found himself only looking for Merlin's approval, not longer for his father's or anyone else's, he looked only for Merlin's gaze at the side and hoped it would beam back at him with pride. Making Merlin proud, fulfilling that grand vision Merlin had of him, made Arthur insanely happy, and he wondered what good thing he must have done in another life to deserve Merlin, because he certainly couldn't remember having done a deed great or worthy enough of Merlin in this life. He actively looked for opportunities to make Merlin proud, looked for problems both with himself, his behaviour, and other people, to the point where he could see the pattern immediately if another such problem arose elsewhere.

Arthur became very aware of all the problems going on around him, and he did his best to deal with all of them. He never knew what kind of King he wanted to be before he met Merlin. Now he knew, he wanted to be the kind of King that Merlin would be proud of.

And every time things got a little too much for him, he would ask Merlin to stay the night in his bed with him, and in his mind, he would flee with Merlin to that farm and allowed himself to imagine that that daydream was his reality. Merlin, for the most part, was unaware just where his prince's mind drifted on those nights after a stressful day, but he just relished in the warmth and comfort and feeling of safety that lying in Arthur's arms provided him with.

Arthur knew, that if his father knew anything about this, about how Arthur and Merlin spent their nights together, sleeping together in the not so innocent sense, well, Arthur wasn't sure what he'd do first. Uther would likely have Merlin thrown out, at best, and at worst... Arthur didn't want to think about it. It was good, then, that Uther largely did not care about how Merlin spent more time with Arthur than was strictly appropriate for them, or how close the two of them seemed in public, as long as Arthur wasn't risking his life too often for the boy, and as long as no one told him about their 'sleeping arrangements'.

It was one such night - as Arthur and Merlin, like so many times before, lay cuddled together on Arthur's bed, under his soft covers, with Merlin's head on Arthur's chest, one arm around the other and their other hands intertwined with their lover's - that Arthur noticed the bracelet on Merlin's wrist yet again. He let go of Merlin's hand, at which Merlin, who was half asleep at this point, made a noise of discontent, and Arthur took ahold of Merlin's wrist and brought it closer to his face, inspecting the bracelet closely, before kissing Merlin's wrist, eliciting a tired giggle from his lover, which warmed his heart.

"Hey, Merlin?" Arthur lightly shook Merlin a bit more awake with his shoulder, and Merlin blinked up at him. Arthur could swear his heart had given up on him as Merlin stared up at him, his eyes wide and innocent and happy, but also very sleepy, and Arthur couldn't stop himself from kissing his forehead.

Merlin giggled, closed his eyes again and put his head back down onto Arthur's chest, listening to the soft and steady beat it was beating just for him. "Mhm-hm?"

"I've been wondering, where do you have this bracelet from?" Arthur asked, absentmindedly playing with the bracelet of Merlin's wrist. Merlin stiffened a bit and a slight frown overcame him. Ah, Arthur thought with a sting of regret, so it wasn't an entirely pleasant reason.

"My Mum gave it to me..." Merlin explained, blinking, becoming more awake by the second, he had even opened his eyes and stared at his wrist where Arthur's hand was still playing with the bracelet. "She said that... she said that my father gave it to her, and she gave it to me before I left for Camelot."

So that was the reason, Arthur asserted in his mind. "I'm sorry you never got to see your father, Merlin," Arthur apologised and kissed Merlin's head again.

"It's fine," Merlin insisted, "Mum didn't talk about him often, but when she did, there was nothing but love in her voice and in her eyes. It makes me think... I don't think he had a choice in leaving her. Otherwise, I don't think she would have kept his bracelet, or give it to me, or talk about him with so much love still there."

Arthur smiled at this. It was another quality that he loved about Merlin. He always wanted to assume the best in people, unless given good reason against it. At a one point, Arthur had even asked Merlin his opinion on Uther, to which Merlin has said, "I don't like him, for what he has done to innocent people, yes, but especially that he wasn't, _isn't_ there for you when you need him to be. I see that he cares about you, but you don't get to see that often enough. Not just as often as you deserve, but as often as you _need_ it."

Arthur remembered that having been one of the few times in his life he had cried, and the first time he had cried in front of someone. He had never before allowed himself to be so vulnerable in front of someone else because he knew that he couldn't allow himself to be vulnerable in front of those who knew him only as their prince. Merlin, though, never looked at Arthur and saw only the prince, Merlin saw so much more in Arthur, so much good, like he saw in everyone, but Arthur felt that the good that Merlin saw in _him_ was special, somehow, different from the good that Merlin saw in others, or at least he liked to think it.

"Sometimes", Merlin paused, then continued, "Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like, having known him before he left. But at some point I realized that I'm... glad, I think, that I never knew him. It's sad that I never got to know and love him, but in the end, I know what that did to my mother. And I'm glad that I never loved him to mourn having lost him."

And, somehow, that made perfect sense to Arthur. He knew it would have broken Merlin's little, fragile, earnest heart had it known and loved its father before he left. He knew that when Merlin loved, he loved with all his heart.

"Would you ever want to meet him?" Arthur asked, softly, as if afraid his voice would be enough to break Merlin down into sobs. Merlin considered his question before he answered.

"Yes, I think so. If just for a day, I want to get to know the man who made my mother so happy, even if he was forced to leave her. I wouldn't love or know him as my father, but... I want to know what sort of person he is... or was, if he is dead." Merlin explained this and it made so much sense to Arthur.

It was so similar to his own absent parent, forced to leave, though his mother had died to make this so. Arthur would love to meet her, if only just for a day, and get to know the woman who once made his father so happy, and whose absence tore such a great hole into the man's cold chest to turn him so bitter.

"I'm sure he was a good man, if only to your mother for her to have loved him so, who still loves him so, by what you said." Arthur nuzzled his cheek into Merlin's hair. Merlin giggled and nuzzled back, then turned his head and captured Arthur's lips with his own. 

They slept together again that night, found pleasure and comfort in each other that they would never find elsewhere in life or in this world, and each made a silent vow neither to leave the other, whatever may come, and, if they are separated, that they would find their way into the other's arms again, no matter how far away, no matter how long they had to wait. They would always come back to each other.

A few days after, it was such a night again, though it wasn't quite time to sleep yet. Arthur and Merlin ate together, sharing Arthur's food, because at first, the cook had always put too much on Arthur's plate, and, more recently, because she seemed to know that Merlin ate from Arthur's plate as well. It was better than having Merlin carry two plates on one tray and cause suspicion of whom the second plate was meant for, lest they be discovered by someone who would bring that information to Uther.

So they ate and talked, joked and laughed and made fun, all giggles and laughter and red cheeks. Arthur reached into his pocket and couldn't keep himself from smiling brighter.

He had recently found an old bracelet of his which he had thought lost until he had found it just behind his bed, wedged between it and the wall. He remembered that one of his nursemaids had made him this bracelet as a good luck charm that would fend off bad dreams, and he had cherished it as a little boy, never going anywhere without it, but it had been made too big for his little wrist at the time and he had ended up losing it one day. He remembered having been devastated and crying, for the first time (or the first time he remembered crying) and had hidden his wrist in long sleeves from the nursemaid for two weeks before she had found out and told him that it was okay that he lost it, that it wasn't his fault and that she was happy that he had cherished it at all.

But he had found it just that morning when Merlin had dragged him out of bed in such a way that Arthur landed on the floor in good view of what was just between the bed and the wall. He could just make out the outlines of something, and, fearing it may be of magical nature in and plot against him, had decided to get it. After Merlin had left to get their breakfast that morning, Arthur had moved the bed to get it, upon which he found out that it was the leather bracelet he had loved and lost as a child.

The leather felt nice on his skin, and the moment he had realised what it was, he had made up his mind what to do with it. Now, the bracelet was too small to fit him, but he didn't even register that, because he hadn't even considered keeping it for himself. Instead, he had immediately noticed how it would fit snugly and perfectly on Merlin's wrist.

He grinned as he pulled out the bracelet from his pocket, Merlin was in the middle of telling him about the latest gossip from the kitchen maids. Merlin didn't even notice how Arthur pulled the bracelet out from his pocket, just kept on talking. Arthur chuckled, and put his free hand onto one of Merlin's, to keep it still from gesturing through his story. This, Merlin noticed, and he went still and lax under Arthur's gaze. Merlin looked at him curiously, then, finally, he noticed the bracelet in Arthur's hand. It was a simple little thing, brown, but the leather was neatly braided, unlike his own, which was much simpler. He blinked in confusion then directed his unspoken question at Arthur by gazing into his eyes and tilting his head like a confused puppy. Arthur chuckled, then, suddenly, he felt silly. He had never given anyone a present before, and he wasn't sure how to go about this, what to say especially.

"I," he said, then paused, then began anew. "I used to wear this bracelet all the time when I was a young boy."

"Used to?" Merlin parroted, another thing that Arthur found endearing.

"It was too big to fit on my wrist without sliding off, and... One day I just lost it, while I was sleeping, I wager. I was so devastated when I realized I had lost it. But, recently, I found it again. I..." and here came the part Arthur did not really know what to say, but he said it anyway, "And I... I want you to have it."

And with that, Arthur pressed the bracelet into Merlin's hands, which were now both in his own. Merlin pulled his hands away to take a closer look at the bracelet. There was a moment of silence, a heavy moment in which Arthur doubted his decision. What would Merlin need with another bracelet? What would it even mean to him? The reason he wore his bracelet was because of a man, a father, who left him and his mother, what meaning would Merlin interpret this bracelet to have?

But then Merlin smiled, smiled that big goofy smile of his, and his eyes filled with tears. Arthur recognized them as tears of joy, and he felt instant relief and happiness wash over him. Happy that his gift was well received. And well received it was, for Merlin lunged across the table, knocking over an empty goblet, and pulled Arthur into a loving embrace, sprinkling kissed onto his face, skin, ears, nose, eyelids, everywhere.

"Thank you," Merlin said into Arthur's mouth, his eyes fluttering open, "I will cherish it forever. It shall remind me of you whenever I can't be right here, right at your side." And Merlin kissed Arthur again and again. Then, before Arthur could move them both to the bed, Merlin paused. He held his wrist, his left one, not the one with his father's bracelet, and held the bracelet Arthur gave him out to him. "Could you help me put it on?" Merlin asked and Arthur was just too eager to do so. Merlin could see a quiet question in Arthur's mind as he helped Merlin to put on the bracelet, which fit him perfectly. He blushed when he answered Arthur's unasked question, "I hear people wear rings and bracelets given by their lovers on their left arm because it's closer to the heart."

And that did it, that was all it took for Arthur to fall apart in giddy happiness. He pressed kiss upon kiss onto Merlin and pulled him closer and together they fell onto the bed behind Arthur, and they loved each other, all night, and then, a bit more innocently, forever.

Arthur was glad he had asked about that bracelet.


End file.
